Device for sorting and carrying mail



Tme 17-51924. 1398,4551

' E. B. JOHNSON DEVICE FOR soR'i-ING AND CARRYING mm Filed March 14. 1922 L nwzrironv .E..5- 0570128022 g g g5 TTORNEYS Patented June 17, 19248 nnvicn non soarine AND ceaarine MAIL. 1* 355,

Application filed March 14, 1922.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELLIOTT B.- JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Granger. in the county of Yakima and State of lVashington, have invented a new and Improved Device for Sorting and Carrying Mall, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for sorting and carrying mail, an object of the invention being to provide a novel form of sorting rack so constructed that the different elements of the sorting rack may be detached from each other and used as mail carrying containers after the sorting operation has been performed.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character primarily intended for the use of rural carriers, which is adapted to prevent mistakes in sorting mail as well as facilitating the delivery thereof.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character, Which will be simple and. practical in construction, strong and durable in use, one which will occupy a small amount of space, and which will be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and an rangemets of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the sorting device assembled and ready for use;

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section through Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing one of the elements of the sorting device detached and ready for use as a mail container.

Referring in detail to the drawings, I have illustrated a support which includes a pair of frame members 1, 1 hinged together at their upper edges by suitable hinges 2, The frame sections 1 are skeleton frames and are normally covered by flexible screens 3 stretched over the frames and held in place by securing strips 4 secured to the frames 1 and confining the edges of the screens. The relative separation of the two frame members is limited by flexible devices 5 connecting the same adjacent their free ends so that ELLIOTT B. JOHNSON, OF GRANGER, WASHINGTON.

Serial No. 543,808.

the feet of the frames may be spread apartand the support firmly set up.

A plurality of sorting devices 6 are adapted to be removably supported upon the frames 1. Each of these sorting devices comprises a length of flexible material, such as leather, canvas, etc, bent along longitudinal lines to provide a pair of overlying sections. The narrower section is secured upon the face of the wider section at regular in- 'tervals by lines of stitching 7, or in any oth or approved manner to provide a plurality of sorting vpockets 8. The wider section of the flexible sorting device forms the back of these pockets, the intermediate portion thereof forms the bottom of the pockets, the narrower folded section of the sorting device forms the front walls of the pockets, and the side walls thereof are defined by the lines of stitching 7, as hereinbefore described.

Tabs 9 secured to the upper edges of the sorting devices carry eyes 10 and immediately below each eye a hook 11 projects from the front face of the pockets 8. In assembling the sorting device upon the frames 1, the eyes 10 are attached to hooks 12 provid ed at the top of the frames for this purpose. The eyes of a second sorting device are then attached to the hooks 11 of the firstsorting device so that the sorting devices are suspended in overlapping relationship to each other with the mouths of all of the pockets exposed,

To facilitate the sorting operation, the names of the recipients of mail along the carriers route may be displayed along the upper edges of the various pockets, as indicated at 13.

After the mail has been sorted, the sorting devices are detached from the supporting frames and rolled up, as indicated in Fig ure 3. These devices may then be encircled by a strap and deposited in the carriers conveyance. The delivery of mail from these sorting devices will be a simple process since the names of the recipients are arranged in regular order upon the pockets. The support including the two hinged frames can be readily folded up and stowed away when not in use and will occupy a very small amount of space. It is to be understood that 7 Ltd in overlapping relationship upon a wall or other suitable support in accordanee with the condition of the post-office where the mail is to be sorted.

Although I have illustrated one of tn preferred embodimentsof my inventioi i will be apparent that numerous sligh' changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arangement of the parts described without departing from the invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to maize such slight chan 'es and alterations as "fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a support, a plurality of elon ated flexible sorting devices having pockets in their front faces arranged in overlapping relationship upon the support, with the mouths of all of said pockets exposed, and interengaging t evices'carried bythe upper edges of one sorting device and the intermediate portion 01" an adjacent sorting device, whereby said de vices may be suspended one from another in overlapped relationship.

2. In a device of the class described, a sun port, a plurality of elongated flexible SO17 ing devices, having pockets in their front -taces arranged in overlapping relationship upon the support, with the mouths of all of said pockets exposed, and interengaging devices carried by the upper edges oi one sorting device and the intermediate portion of an adjacent sorting device, whereby said devices may be suspended one from another in overlapped relationship, said interengaging devices comprising hooks and eyes respectively.

3 In a mail sorting device, a plurality of strip like fleainle members, each having a plurality of pockets extending transversel-y of the strips with their mouths below th upper lon itudinal edge of the member, th members being provided with means for detachably suspending from one another with portions of the pockets in over-lapping rela tionship and with their mouths exposed.

In a mail sorting device, a nlurali" members each having a pluralit; arranged side by side with their low the upper edge of the men per edge of each member and the i of sundry of the pockets thereof bei vided with and hooks resp whereby the eyes of one member may be gaged with the hook of the pockets of an adiacent men'iber to suspend the members i one another with the pockets of the sev .l members in overlapping relation and with the nouths of all the pockets exposed.

5, In a mail sorting device, a support including a pair of screen covered skeleton frames hinged together at their upper edges, means limiting the relative separation of the lower edgesoif the frames and a pin ralitv of elongated mail sorting devices iifiT- ing pockets in their faces, said devices ranged upon the "frames ll. overlapping 'p with the mouths of all of said poet.-

, iosed.

6. is a new article of manufacture a mail sorting member, consisting of a flexible material provided with pllllizilitf o' pee s extending transversely oi"? the strip with their months below the upper longitudinal edge of the strip and with e ,es at its upper edge and hooks intermediate or? its Width.

ELLIOTT B. JQI-IIIEQN,

strip of' 

